


Light Reflects the Cutting Edge

by junko



Series: the distance between us [12]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-02
Updated: 2012-05-02
Packaged: 2017-11-04 17:49:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/396532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji has a crappy day, until Byakuya orders him on a date to the Cherry Blossom Festival</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light Reflects the Cutting Edge

**Author's Note:**

> The soap opera between the boys continues. Warning: strong language.

Renji was having a shitty day. Getting kicked out of the captain’s bed before sunrise was only the beginning. Even though the hot springs would have been a perfect remedy for sore muscles, the sentō had been occupied by a family and the attendant had made Renji feel like a shameful beast for even _considering_ trying to bribe her into shooing them out early. So he’d left without a bath. After that, he’d had to endure a lecture from the quartermaster about the proper respect that the shihakushô deserved, and about how he could not possibly replace just the obi, but instead had to charge Renji for an entirely new uniform.

All of this had made him miss breakfast. He didn’t even dare stop off at the kitchen to grab something, because being tardy was one of Byakuya’s pet peeves and there was no way Renji could take a dressing down from the captain in front of everyone _this_ morning.

In fact, he thought that just seeing Byakuya in the daylight would make things worse.

But when the captain joined him to observe the practice yard, the first thing Renji noticed was the change in reistsu. Unlike the captain’s reserved expression, the spiritual pressure that brushed against Renji was warm, almost… tender, like a kiss.

Though he didn’t smile or even greet him with more than a nod, Byakuya handed Renji a bowl of tea. When Renji hesitated, Byakuya said, “I thought you might need it this morning, lieutenant.”

“Yeah,” Renji said, shaking off his astonishment to accept the tea. “Thanks, sir.”

Byakuya said nothing more, just turned his attention to the yard. Renji sipped the tea, which was clearly from the captain’s private store. The stuff from the mess hall sometimes smelled of fish, but this had a delicate chestnut scent.

Damn. Even his tea smelled good.

Okay, Renji thought staring at the fine pottery warming his hands on the chilly Spring morning, this was _what_ , exactly? A peace offering? An apology? Was the captain trying to say sorry he couldn’t show affection in public, in front of others? Or was this just tea? Just a “hey, I knew you’d have a hangover because you barfed in my chamber pot last night”? Or, worse, maybe a “I fucked you hard last night, so here’s a little present.”

He glanced over at Byakuya. The captain must have found time for a bath because he looked refreshed. His ebony hair was like a deep pool of India ink, such a stark contrast to the white of the kenseikan. A breeze played with the locks it separated.

Renji ached to run his fingers through Byakuya’s hair, stoke the fine silken strands. Instead, he gripped the green tea tighter and frowned the bruises on his wrists. That was the only thing wrong with last night as far as Renji was concerned: not being able to really touch him. Sure, their bodies had been together, but he’d been denied the chance to put his arms around Byakuya, hold him.

It had been especially painful because he only just discovered how much he wanted that—the cuddling, the being together--and he certainly couldn’t reach out now, in broad daylight.

“Egad, that face. You must be thinking again,” Byakuya observed dryly, without turning to look at him. “Do I dare ask what about?”

“No.” Renji slammed back the tea. Pressing the emptied bowl into Byakuya’s hand, he waded out into the practice yard. Fuck thinking. It was too complicated. What he needed was a good fight.

#

Yet throughout the morning, Renji sensed Byakuya watching him, admiring him. The captain’s reistsu brushed against him constantly, like a lingering caress. Without entirely meaning to, Renji found himself showing off a little, desperate to be worthy of Byakuya’s attention in every way.

At lunchtime they went their separate ways. The captain always dined privately, while Renji joined the division in the mess. It was sort of a relief when Byakuya’s intense scrutiny vanished, but its absence was just as noticeable, like that feeling of emptiness that had haunted Renji all day.

He was finally settling down with something to eat when Rikichi, the little unseated officer with beads in his hair and eyebrow tattoo, tugged at his sleeve.

“Uh, sorry to bother you, sir, but there’s a gentleman from the Eleventh here to see you,” Rikichi said.

“A ‘gentleman’?” Renji laughed. “Not from the Eleventh.”

“Oh, um, well, it’s a Mr. Ayasegawa?”

Renji frowned and grabbed a sticky bun from his tray as he stood up. “Yumichika? What the hell is he doing here? Show me to him.”

The kid led Renji back out to the yard, where Yumichika waited. He leaned against the portico railing, inspecting his fingernails. The noon sun shone brightly on the gaudy orange undershirt he wore. When Yumichika saw Renji, he flipped back his jaw-length hair and waved cheerfully.

“I was sent to make sure you were still breathing,” Yumichika batted his lashes and making the feather flutter. “After last night, the boys woke up convinced they’d sent you on a suicide mission.”

They’d probably all _just_ woken up too, lucky stiffs. Renji ate the last of the bun for emphasis. “You seriously pulled me away from lunch to see if I was stupid enough to take drunken sex advice from Kenpachi?”

Rikichi watched the conversation with wide eyes and an open mouth, his head bobbing back and forth like watching a sparring match.

“Yes, actually, but I see you’ve survived the night,” Yumichika dropped his gaze to stare pointedly at the bruises on Renji’s wrist, “ _mostly_ unscathed.”

Trust Yumichika to notice that! Renji had to fight the impulse to hide his wrists guiltily.

Yumichika was smirking now. “Shall I tell them mission accomplished?”

Renji grabbed Yumichika by the scruff of the kosode, and dragged him some distance from Rikichi. When it looked like the boy might follow, Renji shot him a warning glare. Into Yumichika’s ear, he growled, “Oi, you’d better not tell anyone anything.”

Yumichika twisted the skin of Renji’s bruised wrist until he was forced to let go with a grunt. “Ow!”

“Don’t get your panties in a knot,” Yumichika said, straightening his uniform. “No one at ours really cares who you’re fucking or who’s fucking you. What happens at the Eleventh stays at the Eleventh. You know that, Abarai.”

“Yeah, I suppose. I just don’t need little ears overhearing,” he said, jerking his chin in the direction where Rikichi stood, peering around the edge of the building at them.

“So…?” Yumichika grinned lasciviously. “Everything went according to plan, did it?”

“Not exactly,” Renji said, a blush starting to creep up his neck. “But, there’s no way I’m talking to you about this… not sober, anyway. Can you be serious for a second? I need to ask your advice about something.”

“Advice?” Yumichika splayed his fingers across his chest. “Me?”

“Yeah. Um, so--you and Ikkaku… how does that work?”

“You’re presuming it does.”

Renji’s eyes were wide. They were the one ‘couple’ he always assumed existed forever. “Doesn’t it?”

Yumichika bit his lip and looked away as if considering something. Then, he caught Renji’s gaze. Something deep and intense was reflected in the purple depths of his eyes, as Yumichika said, “I think I understand why you’re asking, so I’ll tell you: if it works at all, it’s because I make no demands. I don’t expect him be anything he’s not. I’ve never tried to change him. I take him when he comes and I let him go when he walks away.”

Renji considered this for a long moment. It seemed profoundly depressing to always be waiting on the other man, always be the one left alone, left wanting. “You mean you never ask for anything? Not even… you know, little things?”

“Never,” Yumichika said resolutely.

“Fuck me. How can you be happy with that?”

“I love him. I love who he truly is, not someone I wish he were.”

“Huh.”

Yumichika smiled kindly, and patted Renji on the shoulder. “Loving a hard man is not for the faint of heart, Renji. It takes more strength than most people possess to simply let things be what they are.”

Yumichika chose that moment to make a dramatic exit, which was foiled when he nearly collided with Byakuya as the captain came around the far corner unexpectedly. Byakuya pinned Yumichika under an icy gaze, and Renji felt a sudden spike in reistsu, dark and intense. What the fuck? It was almost like a fight was brewing. A wind swirled at Byakuya’s feet, reistsu flapping his hems and pulling at his hair slightly.

For his part, Yumichika met Byakuya’s eyes as if daring him to say or do something.

“Lieutenant, there’s garbage in my division. Remove it,” Byakuya said with a calmness that belied the small tornado of spiritual pressure building all around them.

Oh, crap. What was this? Renji took Yumichika’s elbow roughly. “Okay, you heard the captain. Let’s go.”

Renji thought for a moment that Yumichika might fight. But with a dramatic sniff and a lift of his nose, he let Renji direct him to the door. Once out of sight, Yumichika shook himself from Renji’s grasp.

Renji released him quickly. He lifted his palms in an apology. “Hey, man, I’m really sorry about that. I have no idea what his problem is. He can be a real jerk, and you know I have to--”

“I know.” Yumichika cut him off with a shrug. “I don’t blame you. He is what he is, Renji.”

Renji frowned at that, but held the door open for Yumichika, which made Yumichika smile prettily again.

“Such a gentleman,” he teased, though there was a note of sadness in his voice. Yumichika paused just before stepping out into the street. His eyes were on the ground, and his voice was so soft that Renji almost didn’t hear him say, “Loving a hard man is difficult enough, but yours is more than hard—he’s the most ruthless man I’ve ever known. Watch yourself. If you get in his way, he’ll cut you down without hesitation.”

Before Renji could ask Yumichika why he would say such a thing, Yumichika slipped out into the streets of the Seireitei and was gone.

#

 

Renji half-expected Byakuya to be waiting for him when he returned to the mess hall, ready to give him grief about his “filth” showing up unannounced, but, instead, the captain was conspicuously absent.

What was it about Yumichika that brought out such distain from Byakuya? Did something actually happen between the two of them or was it just a general dislike for the ruffians of the Eleventh? And why would Yumichika call Byakuya ruthless? Considering who he hung around with on a daily basis, that was a pretty serious accusation.

Luckily, Renji had no time to dwell on anything; it was time to get back to work.

Yet it seemed to be the day for confusing pronouncements. Zabimaru wasn’t usually the sort for Zen puzzles. Yet, in the middle of demonstrating a technique to the division, sunshine glittered along the sharp blade of the zanpaktō and, seemingly apropos of nothing, it said: _Light reveals the cutting edge._

Renji was so startled by this, he faltered, stumbling a little. “Uh,” Renji said to the confused expressions of the squad. “That’s not how that goes. Let’s take a quick break.”

As people milled around forming conversation knots or fetching drinks of water, Renji laid the flat of the blade across his open palm. “What does that mean? ‘Light reveals the cutting edge’?”

 _Senbonzakura_ , said one voice.

The other continued with a hiss, _is two things as well_.

 _Like a blade_ , the deeper voice said. _Only the edges cut._

“Okay,” Renji said, still not sure what Zabimaru was trying to say. “And?”

But, having revealed its insight, the zanpaktō had nothing more to add.

#

 

Renji spent the remainder of the day trying to puzzle out Zabimaru’s riddle. He kept getting hung up on the idea that Senbonzakura was two things at the same time. Renji had only seen Byakuya release his shikai once, in a demonstration, and could only remember it as this beautiful scattering of cherry blossoms. He knew it was a sort of illusion, that the petals were actually deadly blades, but didn’t that make them only one thing—or maybe a thousand things?

What Renji remembered even more about that day was how Byakuya had nearly refused an order from the head captain Yamamoto, arguing that he should not be forced to unsheathe his blade merely for show. To have no proper or worthy opponent dishonored Senbonzakura. Renji respected that, as did all the Eleventh, including Kenpachi, who had, moments later, loudly announced he was bored and had his company leave. Renji was still sort of disappointed he’d never gotten to see the famous double-blades of the Eighth and Thirteenth Division captains.

None of this helped him figure out what Zabimaru was trying to say, however. _Light reveals the cutting edge_. What the fuck.

“I’m not going to let you hang out with Senbonzakura any more, if this is what happens when you talk to her,” Renji muttered. His left hand had rested on Zabimaru all day, hoping the zanpaktō would deign to help him out at some point. “You know I suck at this kind of mystical shit.”

“What are you muttering in here about, lieutenant?” Byakuya asked, as pulled open the door.

Renji was actually in the captain’s office taking care of the day’s paperwork. So he stood to give Byakuya his spot back, “Just talking to Zabimaru.”

Byakuya gave an incredulous little laugh as he settled behind the desk. “Ah, yes, the ever talkative Zabimaru. What were the two of you discussing this evening?”

“Your zanpaktō. She’s a bad influence, sir. Zabimaru’s gone Zen on me.”

“What?”

“Senbonzakura,” Renji said, setting a pile of papers in front of Byakuya that needed his attention. “Her calm, still pool of whatever is rubbing off on my Zabimaru,” he added with a little grunt, “and I can’t say I like it.”

Byakuya set the brush he was writing with down. “Stop speaking of Senbonzakura with such familiarity.”

 _Wow. Screw light, the blade flashes without warning_ , Renji thought. He kept his mouth shut, however, but for the required, “Sir.”

Renji would have liked taken the opportunity make a tactical retreat, but, unfortunately, they weren’t finished with the day’s business or the conversation, it seemed. “Why was the Fifth Seat from the Eleventh Division here this afternoon, Renji?”

Another potential land mine. “Yumichika was checking up on me. I left there pretty drunk last night.”

“You spend an awful lot of time at a regiment you left behind,” Byakuya noted, returning to the papers. “Perhaps you’d prefer to go back there permanently?”

“No, sir,” Renji said, holding back a soft sigh. This was an old argument already, and the reason Renji had invested so much energy developing a secret short cut between barracks. He’d be damned if he was giving up his friends, but, for the time being, he could play it smart and let things cool down before making a new way back there.

His loyalty to the Eleventh ran deep, after all. There was no place before or since that had felt more like home—or rather a home he’d never actually had since it wasn’t like he missed the warm comforts of the streets of _Inuzuri._ Speaking of, no one in the Eleventh judged him for where he came from either. Instead, they were more likely to give him grief for being high and mighty as one of few Academy graduates in their ranks.

“You would do well to remember you represent me now,” Byakuya was saying. “And behave accordingly.”

Renji nodded, half-listening. Instead, he focused on making sure Byakuya signed what needed his mark. How he’d ended up going from a captain without even a name to one with a royal one, he’d never know.

“I’ll expect you at your best this weekend,” Byakuya continued. “You will attend me at the Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Festival.”

Hold it. Did Byakuya just order him out on a date?

“Uh, sir? What did you just say?”

“The Kuchiki family is expected to attend at the Imperial gardens. You will accompany me.”

“Me?”

“How many times am I expected to repeat myself, lieutenant?”

Renji sputtered. Wasn’t he just on the receiving end of a lecture about the fact that he wasn’t well-behaved enough for the Imperial Garden sort? “Uh, all right. I’ll make sure the Third Seat is ready for our extended absence.”

“See that you do. Oh, and, Renji, be sure to pack your dress uniform.”

“Right.” Okay, what the hell was the dress uniform? Time to go back to the quartermaster, it seemed.

“I expect you at dinner tonight in my quarters, so we can discuss the itinerary.”

#

 

Renji walked out of the office with the completed paperwork under his arm, feeling completely stunned, like he’d been bashed over the head by a blunt instrument.

“Is this what you’re talking about?” Renji asked Zabimaru as he made his way through the evening crowd to deliver everything to the head captain’s office. “Two things at once, shit. More like blows hot and cold.”

“Oh, Renji!” came the cheerful call of Rangiku Matsumoto, as she flounced up beside him. “Paperwork, I see. I was just going to deliver some myself.”

Renji was a bit surprised to hear that. Rumor had it that the Tenth was chronically behind on paperwork, though he did seem to have an unusually large pile tucked up against her chest.

“Care to join me?” Renji asked, feeling a little awkward since the last time they’d talked she’d basically asked him to look her up and he’d been a tiny bit distracted by Byakuya. It remained, however, an enticing offer. Along with that amazingly curvaceous body, she had an easy smile and a warm disposition. Of course, she also seemed to have this baffling ability to lead him wherever she wanted to go.

She tucked her other arm under his, and said, “Don’t mind if I do.”

They walked a little way together, not saying much. Renji admired the way the street lanterns reflected the golden highlights in her long, auburn curls. And, of course, view that her half-open shihakushô afforded of the round, swell of breasts.

“I haven’t seen you around,” she noted. “Is Kuchiki keeping you busy?”

“Uh,” Renji was glad for the darkness, so she might not notice the blush that colored his cheeks. “That reminds me, I have to stop off at the quartermasters. Do you have any idea what the dress uniform is like?”

“Oh,” she said, tapping a finger against generous lips. “I think it’s the same, except with the arm band thingie. Why?”

“Apparently, I’m going to the Imperial Gardens for Sakura Season.”

“Oh, how lovely!”

“If you say so,” Renji grunted. “I can’t think of a worse nightmare. All those nobles running around….”

“Picnicking, lounging on the grass in gorgeous kimonos, enjoying a lovely view, drinking sake…. Oh, yes, how horrible for you, Renji. How will you bear such misery!”

Renji sighed. How could he explain the double edge of this sword? An entire weekend away together? He and Byakuya could hardly have a night that didn’t end awkwardly. Although, maybe away from the division and all the constraints of the Thirteen Court Guard, things would be different, more relaxed…

“So,” Matsumoto purred, “Is Byakuya taking someone special? Did you finally find out if there’s some secret lover?”

“Uh.” How was it that she always ended up asking questions in the most embarrassing possible way? “No,” he finally managed around a cough. “It’s just me and him.”

“Well, maybe there’s some noble woman he has his eye on, someone he’s hoping to meet up with. He must be starting to get pressure to produce an heir, don’t you think?”

That was the last thing Renji had been considering.

“We all know he’s not over his wife,” she continued in a gossipy tone. “But the family must be starting to get desperate. She left them childless, and she wasn’t even from a proper family. I wonder, do you suppose he broke some prearranged engagement to take up with her?”

Renji had no idea. “You think? I mean, is that a possibility?”

“Oh, yes, a lot of those high-ranking types get betrothed when they’re infants. It must have been a big deal when Byakuya announced he was swanning off with some street urchin from the _Rukongai_.”

 _Huh_ , Renji thought. _He seems to have a taste for those_.

#

 

When Renji saw the light lift of Vice-Captain Sasakibe’s pure white eyebrow, Renji decided to rescue Matsumoto. He tugged her lightly on the sleeve. She gave him a startled look, and thankfully stopped her laundry list of excuses. “Weren’t we headed somewhere?” he asked her.

“Oh, right! Sorry, I have to go! Bye!” she said brightly. Renji hauled her away before she could dig herself in deeper. Once they were out of the head captain’s office, she burst into a giggling fit. “I’m a nervous talker. Sometimes I don’t know when to shut up.”

“It’s okay,” Renji said lifting a shoulder. “I have to go. I have a dinner meeting with the captain.”

She grabbed his hand as though to give it a little squeeze of thanks, but her eyes flew open when she saw the bruises on his wrist. “Renji! What’s this? Does some cruel master tie up their dog?”

“Oi,” Renji said, pulling his hand away. “I’m no one’s dog.”

“You’re also too impressive a beast to be restrained,” she sniffed. She tisked disapprovingly. “I’d never waste you like that. But then I’m not afraid of animal nature.”

Renji scowled. “Zabimaru isn’t a mere animal.”

“What? But, I thought—“

“He’s a demon.”

Renji walked away, leaving Matsumoto with her mouth hanging open.


End file.
